EUROPE: Comparing child well-being in the UK, Sweden and Spain - the role of inequality and materialism

Summary: New research has shown that children in the UK feel trapped in a "materialistic culture" and don't spend enough time with their families.

Following on from UNICEF's pioneering report in 2007, which ranked the UK bottom in child well-being compared to other industrialised nations, the research released today gives an in-depth comparison of over 250 children's experiences across three developed countries: the UK, Sweden and Spain.

Children in all three countries told researchers that their happiness is dependent on having time with a stable family and plenty of things to do, especially outdoors, rather than on owning technology or branded clothes.

Despite this, one of the most striking findings is that parents in the UK said they felt tremendous pressure from society to buy goods for their children; this pressure was felt most acutely in low-income homes.

The research also shows that parents in the UK are committed to their children but they lose out on time together as a family due in part to long working hours. They often try to make up for this by buying their children gadgets and clothes.

Consumer culture in the UK contrasts starkly with Sweden and Spain, where family time is prioritised, children and families are under less pressure to own material goods and children have greater access to activities out of the home.

"Right now politicians are grappling with the aftermath of the riots and what they say about our society, culture and families," said David Bull, the UNICEF UK Executive Director. "The research findings provide important insights, and it is vital that those in power listen to what children and their families are saying about life in the UK."

In response to the research UNICEF UK is calling on the UK Government to:

• encourage businesses to pay a living wage, so parents don't have to take on several jobs to make a living, which affects the amount of time they can spend with their children
• insist local authorities assess the impact of public spending cuts on children so that funding is protected for play facilities and free leisure activities
• follow Sweden's example and stop advertisements being shown before, during or after programmes aimed at under-12s.

Reg Bailey, Chief Executive of The Mother's Union, who led an independent review of the commercialisation and sexualisation of children earlier this year, said: "If the Government is serious about creating a more family-friendly society - and it has repeatedly set out to do so - then this report is to be welcomed for its thought provoking challenges."

Read the full report, or a report summary, or download the children's version.